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A full house of more than 100 Santa Ynez Valley residents, Santa Barbara County winemakers, and wine industry supporters gathered to voice their concerns about the “neighborhood compatibility” of wineries on Monday night at St. Mark’s in Los Olivos.

It was the latest — and perhaps most contentious — in a series of county planning hearings designed to inform the update of the winery ordinance later this year, a process that still has vintners wondering why they need to protect their livelihoods and residents wondering how they can preserve their quality of life.

Negative impacts mentioned on Monday included traffic, noise, lighting, and drunk drivers, with positives being added jobs and a stronger economy, and there were repeated pleas to just sit down and talk to each other like neighbors rather than adversaries.

The next meeting, which will focus on permitting and enforcement, is on February 21. Click here for more info.

I'm surprised nobody has raised the issue of crop rotation. Won't just growing grapes and nothing but year after year exhaust the soil? How is this handled in other areas without resorting to potentially harmful fertilizers with their run off?Is this land unsuitable for other crops?

Please do not take this very important conversation to the level of stupid- please. Crop rotation is obviously impossible with grapes......since they have successfully growing grapes & making superior wine in many regions in the world without rotation- your comment/question is a moot one.

We need serious and level headed people making positives comments on this issue- I welcome reading perspectives from either side- and I am firmly on the side of lets take a deep breathe and make some solid plans for the SYV's future....

I am glad to hear that the folks Wes Hagen and others have been accusing of not existing, showed up to voice their opinions. It makes folks like me, who have felt alone in their asking for more protection for neighbors forced to swallow the endless "we know better than you" policy forced by SOME winery advocates owners &operators, it makes me feel a bit vindicated.

Crop rotation with grape vines (aka wine trees) is indeed necessary but rarely practiced. Instead "cover crops" can be used to help the soil maintain it's integrity (without calling other patches of land "stupid".)

Here's a lengthy article that describes both practice and necessity of cover crops, and various organic pesticides and fertilizers.One can hope foodstuffs are common cover crops in SY wineries.

Seriously, vineyards and wineries have got to be about the least offensive and most beautiful industry you could possibly put in a place like the SYV. If I lived there, I would be graciously welcoming more vineyards and wineries because they will help keep the landscape preserved and open.

If of all things you really think these wineries are that bad maybe it might be worth a trip to the coldsprings bridge. I mean, really.. Wineries? Vineyards? Have you really thought about what you are complaining about here and what might result from draconian policies that will deter the industry away from the valley?

"You can be sure Holly will be there with her plastic pitchfork and foam-rubber torch. Oy veh!"

Draxor (anonymous profile)February 17, 2013 at 8:21 a.m.

Drunksore: Be advised that in addition to the tragic physical disabilities Ken points out, Holly was also born with an I.Q. of 54.In spite of these handicaps, Holly had supportive parents who encouraged her to excel in the face of diversity...I mean adversity.

By the age of 16, Holly had enrolled in Princeton University (Brooke Shields had attended there as well) receiving two M.S. degrees in psychology, and three more in astrophysics.